The present application for patent relates to fluid and gas transfer equipment, and more particularly to adapters for connecting connectors to gas or fluid valves.
Gas and fluid transfer systems typically include valves and any number of connectors. The valves receive the gas or fluid from a sources and can either permit or block the flow of the gas or fluid to a destination. Where the valve permits the flow of gas/fluid, the gas/fluid is received by the connector.
The connector and the valve connection is air tight, thereby preventing the release of gas/fluid. The air tight connection is achieved by threadably connecting the opening of the valve with one end of the connector. To make a threadable connection, the connector and valve must be appropriately sized for each other.
Valves and connectors are usually manufactured, distributed, and sold separately from each other and in a variety of different sizes. Accordingly, combinations of valves and connectors of different sizes are incompatible. An adapter is used to establish a connection between valves and connectors of differing sizes.
An adapter includes a first portion which is sized for and threadably receives the valve and a second portion which is sized for and threadably receives the connector. However, to connect a particular valve to a particular connector, the adapter must appropriately sized for both. As the variety of sizes of valves and connectors grows linearly (n), the number of types of adapters needed grows on an n{circumflex over ( 2)} basis. As the number of differently sized adapters grows, stocking and inventory problems arise as sellers must keep appropriate stock of each sized adapter.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous if the number of adapters required to match each of a set of valves to each of a set of connectors could be reduced.
The present invention is directed to an adapter capable of connecting plural sizes of valves to a connector. The adapter has an outer surface with a thread thereon for connection to the connector. The adapter also has a distal inner surface with a thread thereon to accept a first sized valve, and a proximate inner surface with a thread thereon to accept a valve of a second size.